The invention relates generally to diagnostic systems for electrical wires, and in particular, to a diagnostic system for detecting faults in wires.
Insulation failure in wires used in various applications, for example aircraft industry, is a critical safety concern since discharges from electrical wires may lead to on-board fires or other hazardous conditions. Insulation failure of wires has been primarily attributed to aging of the wires leading to cracks in the insulation. Further, improper installation and handling may also lead to faults in insulation. Initial degradation in the insulation may start with microscopic cracks that result in small electrical discharges. The discharges may further carbonize the insulation leading to a full arc discharge. Hence maintenance of the wiring system is an important factor to the maintenance of the aircraft. However, wiring in a typical aircraft is substantially long, thereby complicating manual inspection for faults.
The need for manual inspection is generally avoided by deploying diagnostic sensors that may acquire electro-magnetic signals occurring due to electrical discharges in an electrical wire. However, existing diagnostic sensors are usually not very effective in detecting small electrical discharges. In order to increase the effectiveness, multiple diagnostic systems are deployed in a wiring system that can detect various magnitudes of electrical discharges. However, sensors in such diagnostic systems are generally associated with a magnetic core, which increases the weight of the diagnostic system and subsequently the weight of the aircraft where such multiple diagnostic systems are deployed. Also, the high currents transmitted by the aircraft wiring can saturate the magnetic core, which renders the sensor ineffective.
There is a need for an improved lightweight diagnostic system for electrical wires that addresses the aforementioned issues.